This long-anticipated reappearance of fan-favorite Brodie (following 2011's Started Early, Took My Dog) is ultimately disappointing. Brodie takes a backseat throughout and the first half is a jumble of the various characters and their nefarious activities. The minimal action occurs toward the end, and the denouement feels contrived. Brodie has seen better days. [See Prepub Alert, 12/6/18.]

This long-anticipated reappearance of fan-favorite Brodie (following 2011’s Started Early, Took My Dog) is ultimately disappointing. Brodie takes a backseat throughout and the first half is a jumble of the various characters and their nefarious activities. The minimal action occurs toward the end, and the denouement feels contrived. Brodie has seen better days. [See Prepub Alert, 12/6/18.]

Recommended for fans of Atkinson, Tana French, and Emily St. John Mandel. ["With a fascinating cast of characters, careful plotting, and lyrical language in turns comical and tragic, Atkinson's complex story carefully unveils the outer demands and inner conflicts that war inflicts": LJ 6/15/18 starred review of the Little, Brown hc.]

With a fascinating cast of characters, careful plotting, and lyrical language in turns comical and tragic, Atkinson's complex story carefully unveils the outer demands and inner conflicts that war inflicts on people. A delight for fans of A.S. Byatt and Ian McEwan.

This book will not disappoint Atkinson and Jackson Brodie fans, but it might be a stretch for some readers to keep up with the multifaceted plot, though it is well worth the effort. [Five-city author tour; see Prepub Alert, 12/13/10.]

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